Islamic State claims responsibility for Istanbul attack that killed 39 people

Islamic State claimed responsibility for a gun attack on an Istanbul nightclub which killed 39 people on Sunday

First aid officers carry an injured woman at the site of an armed attack on January 1, 2017 in Istanbul. (AFP Photo)

Islamic State claimed responsibility for a gun attack on an Istanbul nightclub which killed 39 people on Sunday, the group said in a statement on Monday.

“In continuation of the blessed operations that Islamic State is conducting against the protector of the cross, Turkey, a heroic soldier of the caliphate struck one of the most famous nightclubs where the Christians celebrate their apostate holiday,” the statement said.

The attack came as the Turkish army wages a four-month incursion in Syria to oust IS jihadists and Kurdish militants from the border area, suffering increasing casualties.

Istanbul, Ankara and other Turkish cities were hit by a string of attacks in 2016 blamed on Kurdish militants and jihadists that left hundreds dead.